Gregory Harrison Movies
During his days of prominence in the '80s, handsome, powerfully built American actor Gregory Harrison became the unofficial poster boy of the Catalina Island chamber of commerce. As a native of that offshore isle, Harrison frequently guested on talk and variety shows, elucidating the natural wonders of both Catalina and the Avalon resort. A graduate of New York's Actors Studio, Harrison briefly supported himself as a nightclub doorman before securing small film and TV roles. Harrison's most memorable credits were for the small screen: He played Logan 5 on Logan's Run (1977), Michael Sharpe on the final 1989-90 season of Falcon Crest, and the title role in the brief 1990 sitcom The Family Man. Harrison's longest TV-series run was seven seasons (1979-86) as "Gonzo" Gates, the Vietnam-vet doctor on Trapper John MD (1979-86). ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie GuideOlivia Newton-John stars in this sentimental TV movie as Julia Stonecypher, an impoverished widow with two daughters. Living in a remote mountain cabin, Julia relies upon the meager income received from the cakes she bakes for the local townsfolk. Unfortunately, it isn't quite enough to pay the mortgage, and just before Christmas straight-laced bank manager Brian Harding (Gregory Harrison) shows up at Julia's doorstep, announcing that he'll be forced to foreclose on her. Startled by Julia's violent reaction, Brian rushes away from her house, only to be involved in a car accident. With a snowstorm fast approaching, Julia takes the injured Brian to her house to take care of him. Forced by the bad weather to remain longer than expected, Brian inevitably falls in love with Julia -- but will romance supersede his financial responsibilities? In addition to heading the cast, Olivia Newton-John also sings the opening song "The Way of Love." Filmed on location in Vancouver, A Christmas Romance first aired December 18, 1994, on CBS. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Olivia Newton-John, Gregory Harrison, (more)
Hosted by Kevin Costner and narrated by Gregory Harrison, the historical documentary 500 Nations, Vol. 1: The Ancestors - Early Cultures of North America portrays America's original inhabitants. The film begins with a segment on the massacre at Wounded Knee, then flashes back in time for a look at the Anasazis, as well as the early cultures of Mesa Verde and Cahokia. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
Hosted by Kevin Costner and narrated by Gregory Harrison, the historical documentary 500 Nations, Vol. 3: Clash of Cultures - The People Who Met Columbus is part of an eight-part series that portrays America's original inhabitants. The film provides an in-depth look at Columbus' arrival in the New World, the conquering of Caribbean nations by the Spaniards, and Hernando de Soto's conquests in Florida and the Mississippi Valley. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
Hosted by Kevin Costner and narrated by Gregory Harrison, the historical documentary 500 Nations, Volume 4: Invasion of the Coast - The First English Settlements portrays America's original inhabitants before and after the Europeans arrived. The film begins in the Arctic where the Inuit culture -- during the search for the Northwest Passage -- is examined. Also featured in the film are the stories of Pocahontas, the Pilgrims, Samoset, Captain John Smith, and the Powhatans. Other episodes in the 500 Nations series include 500 Nations: Removal, 500 Nations: Clash of Cultures, 500 Nations: Attack on Culture, 500 Nations: Cauldron of War, 500 Nations: Roads Across the Plains, and 500 Nations: Mexico. ~ Kathleen Wildasin, All Movie Guide
This documentary is part of an eight part series that explores the story of the First Americans. The series is produced and hosted by Kevin Costner. In this episode, the origins and development of the French and Indian War are examined. The English and French fought for economic control of the New World. Native Americans had established trade with the French, and took their part in the war against England. When the French were defeated, the tribal forces were left without allies. Set on location, with computer re-creations,that story is told. Of great interest is the look at the oldest democracy on the North American continent: that of the Haudenosaunee -or Iroquois- Nation. Their leader was Pontiac, a man that Benjamin Franklin came to admire. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
This film is part of an eight-tape series chronicling the history and culture of North and Central American Indians. The series is produced and hosted by Kevin Costner and explores the many cultures that comprise the indigenous heritage of the Americas. In this episode, the subject is the Indian Removal Act of 1830, which forced Native Americans from their ancestral lands. It was another in a long line of broken promises by the U.S. Government to the nation's First Americans. After President Andrew Jackson signed the Act, all tribes were required to relocate westward along the infamous "Trail of Tears." The film uses on-location filming, photographs, reenactments, interviews, and first-person accounts to tell this story of betrayal and hardship. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
This documentary is part seven in an eight part series, produced by Kevin Costner, on the First Americans. This episode examines the fate of the Plains Indians, with the arrival of white invaders during the gold rushes in California and Colorado. The Sioux, or Lakota, Nation is particularly noted for its resistance to incursions by white settlers and to mining claims on native land. Sitting Bull, of the Hunkpapa Lokota, and Crazy Horse, of the Oglala Sioux, were two leaders revered then and today for their bravery in seeking an end to European American aggression. They and their peoples fought and defeated General George Custer at the Little Bighorn. The film chronicles the struggle of their resistance and hardship, and subsequent capture, betrayal, death, and displacement of their people onto reservations. Poignant excerpts from the writings of Indian leaders are read by actors Patrick Stewart, Edward James Olmos, and Wes Studi. ~ Rose of Sharon Winter, All Movie Guide
This is the final volume in the set of videos produced by Kevin Costner, star of Dances With Wolves, that chronicles the history of the Native Americans. The many battles waged by the first settlers of this country appeared to never end as host Gregory Harrison recalls the travails of the late 19th century. The lives and battles fought by such figures as Cochise, Geronimo, and Chief Joseph of the Nez Perce are examined. The government's ongoing "war" against the Native Americans and their separate culture continued unchecked, eventually leading to the massacre at Wounded Knee. Many of the events that led up to and contributed to that terrible event at Wounded are reviewed by historians and others. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide
Fans of the Friends television series' co-star Matt LeBlanc may be particularly interested in this film, one of the amiable hunk's first cinematic efforts. In the story, he plays the nephew of Vinny Pallazzo (Jay Acovone), a man who has retired from the mob and changed coasts, from New York to L.A. Now his Vinny works as a clerk in a bookshop and spends a lot of time praying for his sins. When he's not doing that, he tries to give Anthony Manetti (LeBlanc) some advice which will keep him out of trouble with the gangs. Under the rubric of "you can run, but you can't hide," it becomes clear that both men will have to face Vinny's dark past before they can move ahead with their lives. ~ Clarke Fountain, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Matt LeBlanc
In this fact-based made-for-television drama, a woman accused of murder remembers the events leading up to her predicament while awaiting judgment from the court. Laurie Kellog's ordeal began when she was only 16. Bruce Kellog was 31, handsome, charming and fascinating. She fell in love, and when he asked her to move in with him, she did. Unfortunately, unbeknownst to her, she would have had no choice in the matter, for darling Bruce had actually purchased her from her stepfather for $500. The couple are not together long before Mr. Charming turns into an abusive, wife-beating toad. After enduring constant battering, something inside Laurie snapped. Now she stands accused of hiring four teens to kill her husband. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennie Garth, Gregory Harrison, (more)
Originally shown as a CBS miniseries, the eight-part 500 Nations program was directed by Jack Leustig and executive produced by Academy award-winner Kevin Costner. The documentary program traced the history of the Native American tribes of North and Central America, from the centuries of prosperity before the arrival of Western settlers, up through the late 19th century. Produced in 1995 and hosted by Costner, the programs were narrated by Gregory Harrison and featured the voice talents of actors such as Wes Studi, Patrick Stewart, and Edward James Olmos. ~ Matthew Tobey, All Movie Guide

- 1993
- Add Sudden Fury: A Family Torn Apart to QueueAdd Sudden Fury: A Family Torn Apart to top of Queue
A brutal murder sends a family into chaos in this made-for-TV drama. Daniel Hannigan (Johnny Galecki) becomes the key suspect in the killing of his foster parents when they're found dead in their home. While his younger brother Chris (Eric Lloyd) claims that he saw Daniel commit the crime, other evidence suggests that his half-brother Brian (Neil Patrick Harris) may actually be the culprit. So what did Chris really see, and who is actually guilty? Sudden Fury: A Family Torn Apart was based on the novel by Leslie Walker; the cast also includes Linda Kelsey and John M. Jackson as Maureen and Joe Hannigan, the ill-fated parents. ~ Mark Deming, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Neil Patrick Harris, Gregory Harrison, (more)
In this made-for-cable thriller an unemployed actor makes a little cash running acting classes. His troubles begin when the student he has been sleeping with calls him one day and says that she has been kidnapped. The next thing he knows, he is being framed for embezzlement and murder. ~ Sandra Brennan, All Movie Guide
Mia Kirshner plays Page, a troublesome teenager whose low self-esteem has manifested itself into petty thievery. After stealing a car, Page is hauled into court, where she is placed in the custody of her divorced mom (Jennifer Dale). Ordered to move into her mother's Nova Scotia home, Page is resentful of the restrictions placed upon her movements. Before long, she hatches a nasty revenge. The plan: to seduce mom's new boy friend (Gregory Harrison), then laugh in both their faces. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jennifer Dale, Mia Kirshner, (more)
This sci-fi made-for-television movie tells the story of a man battling a high-tech building security system. Paul Reiser stars as Tony Minot, a new employee at security-conscious building. When Tony accidentally damages his key-card at home and later runs it through the system at work, he unwittingly sets the computer on a destructive path. ~ Bernadette McCallion, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reiser, Susan Norman, (more)
Frequent TV-movie costars Stephanie Zimbalist and Gregory Harrison are teamed once more in Breaking the Silence. Harrison plays a lawyer defending a teenager (Chris Young) accused of murdering his father. As the boy details a lengthy history of abuse at the hands of his father, Harrison flashes back to his own miserable childhood. Zimbalist costars as Harrison's law partner (and former lover), who must not only contend with mounting an adequate defense for their client, but also must come to grips with her bitter childhood memories. Breaking the Silence first aired January 14, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A woman loses her son and brother in a mysterious accident which yielded no bodies. Understandably distraught, she is hardly prepared to confront her "dead" brother, now hale and hearty. But the man insists that he's never seen her before. Together with her husband, our heroine investigates this puzzler, uncovering an insidious plot to create a "new" race of humans by wiping out their memory banks. Kim Griest, Gregory Harrison, Cicely Tyson and Kevin McCarthy star in the made-for-TV Duplicates, which made its debut over the USA Cable Network on March 18, 1992. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
A yuppie couple find themselves marooned on a desert isle with only the company of two others--a native girl and her American boyfriend. Stripped of their accustomed world of gadgetry as well as most of their clothes, they find the situation prompts them toward a more introspective mode, and they examine the nuts and bolts of their relationship. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Gregory Harrison, Mark Linn-Baker, (more)
Gregory Harrison is the Angel of Death in this made-for-TV suspenser. In love with artist Jane Seymour, escaped convict Harrison vows to protect Seymour and her six-year-old son Brian Bonsall from any and all antagonists. Trouble is, Harrison is apt to love Seymour and her boy to death. If you don't care for the melodramatic angle, you'll love the scene wherein Harrison gains Seymour's confidence by agreeing to pose nude for her! Angel of Death premiered on October 2, 1990. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
Originally made for cable TV, the story concerns a waitress who sleeps with a man and finds out that he is a hired gun. Years later, she is married to a cop and living across the country, but realizes that the killer is back and ready to strike again. ~ John Bush, All Movie Guide
The ninth and final season of Falcon Crest marks another hasty exit of a longtime series regular, as Maggie Channing (Susan Sullivan), widow of vintner Chase Gioberti and later the wife of ruthless newspaperman Richard Channing (David Selby), drowns in her family's swimming pool. If this wasn't bad enough news for Richard as he is released from prison, Richard must also contend with homicidal financier Michael Sharpe (Gregory Harrison), who has gained control of Falcon Crest and claimed Richard's two sons as his own. In league with his partner in crime Genele Ericson (Andrea Thompson), Michael also plays sinister minds games with his own sister Lauren (Wendy Phillips), and with his own son Danny (David Sheinkopf)--who, in time-honored Falcon Crest fashion, is revealed to actually be Richard's son! Meanwhile, Emma Channing (Margaret Ladd), daughter of Richard's longtime bete noire (and mother!) Angela Channing (Jane Wyman), becomes the wife of one Charley St. James (Mark Lindsay Chapman), a certifiable nutcase with an equally deranged brother named Ian. In concert, the St. James boys not only lay waste to Falcon Crest, but also assault Angela and send her into a coma, capping their deviltry by scheming to bump off their own wives. No sooner have Charley and Ian exited the scene than Angela awakens, picking up precisely where she left off. In the series' now-notorious finale, the entire cast is seized by a sudden epiphany, represented by a Light From Above, whereupon all the bad characters turn "good" literally overnight--and of course, everyone lives happily ever after! ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Jane Wyman, Rod Taylor, (more)
Season three of Pee-Wee's Playhouse finds the irrepressible Pee-wee Herman (Paul Reubens) and the whole Playhouse gang (human and otherwise) back for even more hilarious adventures -- though not as many adventures as in previous seasons, inasmuch as only a handful new episodes were produced. In "I Remember Curtis," Pee-Wee reminisces about his old pal Cowboy Curtis (yes, that's a young Laurence Fishburne) with the help of clips from previous episodes. Future Law & Order co-star S. Epatha Merkerson is prominently featured as Reba the Mail Lady in "Reba Eats, Pterri Runs." Jimmy Smits guest stars as a muscular computer repairman in "Conky's Breakdown." In "To Tell the Tooth," Pee-wee must practice what he preaches after admonishing his friends not to be scared by the dentist. A frantic search is conducted for several of Pee-Wee's favorite playthings in "Mystery." A popular singing trio is spotlighted in "Dr. Pee-Wee and the Del Rubios" "Front Page Pee-Wee" finds our hero transforming the playhouse into a newspaper office. And rascally Randy accidentally causes a"Fire in the Playhouse," though Fireman Frank (Stephen Parry) prevents things from getting out of hand. ~ All Movie Guide
- Starring:
- Paul Reubens, Lynne Stewart, (more)
Inasmuch as Gunsmoke star James Arness was the protégé of movie luminary John Wayne, it is altogether fitting and proper that Arness step into Wayne's role in the 1988 TV-movie remake of the film classic Red River (1948). The remake follows the original slavishly, at least during the first half. Taciturn, no-nonsense trail boss Arness, in charge of a major cattle drive, runs roughshod over his hired hands. The trail boss' adopted son (Bruce Boxleitner playing the role essayed by Montgomery Clift in the original) finally rebels against the old man's tyranny and signs on with a rival outfit. Gregory Harrison, who also co-produced the film, co-stars as the hot-headed character played by John Ireland back in 1948. Incredibly, Arness is largely absent in the closing scene of the TV version of Red River (1988), thereby weakening the story's fabled showdown denouncement. The film pales in comparison to the original, though TV fans will find compensation in the presence of several former western-series stars (Guy Madison, Ty Hardin, Robert Horton, John Lupton) in supporting roles. Red River (1988) first rode over the TV horizon on April 10, 1988. ~ Hal Erickson, All Movie Guide












